Not A Complete Performance In Any Regard Today: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has lamented the lack of opportunities taken by his fielders and the lack of execution of plans with the ball in the death overs following RCB’s 59-run drubbing against Delhi Capitals [DC].

Kohli hailed the Capitals opening duo of Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan for the kind of start that they gave their side. Shaw and Dhawan got DC to a blazing start as they took the attack to RCB’s bowlers, including their strike bowler in Yuzvendra Chahal, smashing 63 runs in the first six overs.

Kohli felt that his side pulled back thing brilliantly in the middle-overs before they squandered it all back thanks to dropped catches and some pretty ordinary death-bowling as Marcus Stoinis, Risabh Pant and later Shimron Hetmyer put the fast bowlers to the swords.

”I think they got off to a great start in the first six then we pulled it back in the next 8 overs and the last phase again got away from us. Those important chances in between we need to grab when the opportunity comes our way, it is not like we are dropping half chances, we are dropping sitters and those things hurt you. The execution with the ball towards the end could have been better and with the bat as well. Not a complete performance in any regard today. We were quite aggressive with the new ball, Prithvi and Shikhar batted really well,” Virat Kohli said.

”I think Prithvi took the game on and we expected that, we kept a catching position and even tried to pick a wicket with the spinner. We got into the game after the first six and then Stoinis batted really well in the end, we gave him a life, he took the game away from us,” he added.

Chris was really close to playing today- Virat Kohli

RCB’s death bowling has been a longstanding issue and in order to address that, they had bought Chris Morris in the last auctions. But an injury to the South African all-rounder hasn’t allowed them to play their premier death bowler.

Virat Kohli provided a major update on Morris availability status when he revealed that the fast bowler was ‘really close’ to playing today. The RCB skipper hoped that Chris Morris will be fit enough to make himself available for their next game, which is in four days time.

”Chris was really close to playing today as well but couldn’t make it. We have four days to the next game, once he comes back into the squad it is a different balance altogether. The good thing is we have won three out of five, we have lost two where we haven’t played good cricket, so I think it is about rectifying those small mistakes,” Kohli said.

RCB’s defeat against DC was quite similar to the loss that they suffered against Kings XI Punjab when they were chasing a big total. Kohli lamented on the fact that the team was once again not able to stitch a big stand and keep 7-8 wickets in hand by the time dew had set in.

The RCB skipper also lauded the Delhi Capitals as a balanced outfit, someone who he thinks will be hard to beat in IPL 2020.

The conversation around chasing is always to have a big partnership, with the dew setting in had we kept 7-8 wickets at the end of 10 overs, the game would have been on. Same thing happened against Kings XI. I am pretty sure once we get a big partnership in we should be able to see these important situations through,” Virat said.

”They (Delhi) are playing some good cricket. Their batting line up is fearless, they have a good balance in the side, their bowling line up is pretty good too and they will be hard to beat, I wouldn’t say unbeatable but they are a tough side to beat. Against such sides we have to bring our A-game and top intensity which I don’t think we did tonight,” he signed off.

Also Read- IPL 2020 Points Table: DC Move To The 1st Spot; RCB’s NRR Takes Another Heavy Beating After 59-Run Defeat